Consequence of Sound » Hurricane Bells

Album Review: Hurricane Bells – Tides and Tales

Megan Ritt — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 11:58:28 +0000

Hurricane Bells’ sophomore full-length, Tides and Tales, picks up right where 2010’s Tonight Is The Ghost left off. They’re still working the Killers-plus-encroaching-depression aesthetic over jangly guitars and quirky sound effects. While there are fewer standout tracks here than on their debut, Tides and Tales makes for a solid listen.

Kicking things off with an odd, distorted squeak, Hurricane Bells luckily only dabbles in noises, instead mostly relying on quiet vocals, simple percussion, and straightforward guitar work. “Before I’m Gone” is one of the best examples of this, a song that is interesting in its simplicity, the sort of track that might unexpectedly catch your attention in the middle of a mix CD. It’s not innovative, perhaps, but it has a certain charm.

“Flowers In The Dirt” uses the basic formula to up the emotional ante on a break-up song. Here the vocals are laid bare over a single, soft guitar line. Vocalist Steve Schlitz stretches higher with gentle pain: “I’ve been here with her old broom/I’ve been sweeping up our old room/If the night brings a warning/Oh, I try to forget it in the morning,” he intones, the story heartbreaking in its delicate, plain-spoken nature.

Continuing a trend that began on their debut, the album features instrumental “The Hunger Moon” as a closer. If the end of the album received more attention here, it’s because the beginning all blurs together a bit. It takes Hurricane Bells a while to find their groove. Really, Tides and Tales makes one want to listen to Tonight is the Ghost again. It’d be nice to hear a third album that really capitalized on the band’s massive potential rather than merely reminding of their past work.

Essential Track: “Flowers In The Dirt”

Check Out: Hurricane Bells – “House on Fire” (CoS Premiere)

Michael Roffman — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 15:55:25 +0000

“But when the morning light comes, I’ll be alright, oh yeah,” frontman Steve Schiltz insists on “House on Fire”, the last cut off Hurricane Bells‘ latest LP, Tides and Tales. Over chummy distortion and a jangly drum beat, Schiltz adds his smooth vocals, keeping things fresh and positive. Like its chorus suggests, it’s an early morning charmer, and one best suited for a light autumn stroll to work. Consequence of Sound has the exclusive download below, and if you enjoy that, it might be worth your while to pick up the rest of the LP tomorrow when it hits the web. Also, for those of you in the East coast, be sure to catch the group on one of their select dates listed below.

Hurricane Bells – “House On Fire”

Tides and Tales will be available beginning October 25th via the band’s Bandcamp.

Hurricane Bells 2011 Tour Dates
10/27 – New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge
12/07 – Vienna, VA @ Jammin’ Java
12/08 – Philadelphia, PA @ World Cafe
12/09 – Albany, NY @ Valentine’s

Hurricane Bells launch Tides and Tales fundraising campaign

Danielle Fowler — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 21:28:21 +0000

Steve Schiltz has been quite the busybody. Ever occupied, he spent last year touring North America with KT Tunstall and released an EP and two live albums last fall. But since the year turned over, he’s been writing, recording, and producing Hurricane Bells’ sophomore album, Tides and Tales. Schiltz plans on releasing it this fall on his label, Invisible Brigades, but he’s become stuck for the money along the way. Fortunately, websites such as PledgeMusic offer artists like Hurricane Bells the opportunity to reach out to fans for the support they need.

To continue self-releasing his own work, Schiltz has asked fans to pledge funds to support the mastering, promotion, and touring behind Tides and Tales. With a pledge, you get the opportunity to learn about, and potentially receive, exclusive mp3s, posters, a house show by the band, vinyls, shirts, and even one of his vintage Gibson guitars. You also get the first download of the album as soon as it releases.

PledgeMusic also pulls its entrepreneurs into its mission of philanthropy by giving a portion of all pledges to charity. Hurricane Bells chose Education Through Music, which supports music instruction in underprivileged schools. So not only will Hurricane Bells benefit– you’ll benefit and so will hundreds of kids!

So far Schiltz has only received 29 pledges that bring him to 14 percent of his goal. There are 55 days left until the fundraiser ends, so be sure to check out the campaign on PledgeMusic before time runs out.

Between the debut’s release and the production of his sophomore album, Schiltz has put out two live albums, Hurricane Bells Live At House Of Blues Boston and Hurricane Bells Live At House Of Blues San Diego, from his recent tour. Before that, he dropped two EPs, last September’s Down Comes the Rain and 2009′s Tonight Is The Ghost, so if you’re feeling impatient for material you can always immerse yourself in four of his most recent releases.

Album Review: Hurricane Bells – Down Comes The Rain EP

Megan Ritt — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 11:58:51 +0000

Does Steve Schiltz ever sleep? If you’ve been following his project, Hurricane Bells, the answer is apparently not. Less than a year after releasing and touring for his debut album, Tonight Is The Ghost, Hurricane Bells return with an EP of covers and new music entitled, Down Comes The Rain. While this release has some great moments, it leaves the listener wishing that Schiltz had waited longer and recorded a full album—there’s just not quite enough to go around.

The covers turned out pretty solid. The strongest of the three is unquestionably Blue October’s “Into the Ocean”, which is so delicately performed as to render the music hauntingly quiet, a small measure of control in the face of the chaos of the lyrics. It’s fairly faithful to the original track, so no major innovation there, but it allows Schiltz to model the dark, subtle beauty that his music embodies so well. Easily the most striking piece on the EP, you’ll find yourself hitting repeat on this one again and again.

If you caught Hurricane Bells on the road last spring, hopefully you were lucky enough to see them cover The Shirelles’ “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow”. The unexpected cover stole the live show. Here, though less dramatic than in person, the song is still open and expansively beautiful, with clear, clean vocals and delicate kisses of acoustic guitar that add a quiet flourish to the classic. The third cover, East River Pipe’s “Make a Deal With The City”, is a fine track, but it’s somewhat sleepy and the weakest of the three, fading behind the shadow of its more fabulous competition.

The original material fares a bit better, with “The Waiting Song” being the highlight. Faster paced and with a flowing, upbeat guitar line, the song’s lyrics are almost deceptively hopeful, making it clear that, though the relationship in question hasn’t gone according to plan, “the sun is up/it’s all I’m waiting for.” This is a song that begs to be listened to on a pleasant, warm morning. The other original track, “The Deep End”, is another slower piece that unfortunately fades a bit into its surroundings (the Blue October and Shirelles covers, respectively). It’s fine, but it’s not what you’ll remember about the album.

Overall? There are three tracks on this EP I’ll listen to again and again, and two I’ll forget. I’m sorry that one of those is an original track, because frankly, Tonight Is The Ghost demonstrated that Hurricane Bells’ own songwriting is enough to carry an album. Ultimately, I’m left wanting a bit more and replaying Ghost. Hopefully, Hurricane Bells has more of their dark, acoustic-flavored goodness on the way soon.

KT Tunstall details North American tour

Steve Mcgillivray — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 15:30:27 +0000

Grammy nominated singer-songwriter KT Tunstall returns to North America this fall for a 20-date tour in support of her new album Tiger Suit, released via Virgin Records on October 5th. Normally us Scots are a shy bunch, but not the intrepid Tunstall — she’ll perform the first single from the new album “Fade Like A Shadow”, on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on the day of the new album’s release.

The tour will kick off in Portland on October 31st and will take in almost every corner of the US plus a few dates in Canada. Spokane, Boise, Reno, San Francisco, Denver, Detroit and Toronto are all getting a visit from the Platinum-selling Scot with the tour culminating in a show at Terminal 5 in New York City on December 1st. Support on all tour dates comes from New York’s Hurricane Bells. Tickets to select dates are available on Ticketmaster.

Tiger Suit was produced by Jim Abbiss, who has also worked with Arctic Monkeys, Kasabian, and Editors among many others. Longtime collaborators Martin Terefe and Jimmy Hogarth were also on board as well as co-writing several songs with A-list songwriter/producers Linda Perry and Greg Kurstin. Tunstall has described the new album as “Nature Techno”, alluding to the folk roots and electronic textures of the new record.

Tiger Suit Tracklist:
01. Unmmannaq Song
02. Glamour Puss
03. Push That Knot Away
04. Difficulty
05. Fade Like A Shadow
06. Lost
07. Golden Frames
08. Come On Get In
09. Still A Weirdo
10. Madame Trudeaux
11. The Entertainer

KT Tunstall 2010 Tour Dates:
10/31 – Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
11/01 – Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom
11/02 – Seattle, WA @ The Showbox SODO
11/04 – Spokane, WA @ Knitting Factory
11/05 – Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory
11/07 – Reno, NV @ Knitting Factory
11/08 – San Francisco, CA @ Warfield Theatre
11/11 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Music Box
11/12 – San Diego, CA @ House of Blues
11/16 – Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre
11/18 – Minneapolis, MN @ Epic
11/19 – Indianapolis, IN @ The Vogue
11/21 – Chicago, IL @ Vic Theatre
11/22 – Detroit, MI @ The Crofoot
11/23 – Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Theatre
11/25 – Montreal, QU @ Club Soda
11/26 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Trocadero
11/27 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
11/29 – Boston, MA @ House of Blues
12/01 – New York, NY @ Terminal 5

Hurricane Bells bring a sonic storm to Chicago (5/14)

Megan Ritt — Sun, 16 May 2010 20:45:45 +0000

Chicago’s Subterranean is the ideal venue for an intimate, darkly expressive rock show, and Friday night’s bill was a perfect fit for the space. On its first tour in support of debut album Tonight is the Ghost, Hurricane Bells capped off an engaging night of local music with deep guitar and floating, sadly hopeful vocals.

Opener Verona Red warmed up the crowd with a surprisingly accessible brand of Chicago rock. You don’t expect a totally familiar vibe from a band you’ve never heard before, but there it was. With warm guitar, a well-pounded tambourine, and bongo drums laid over the full percussion, Verona Red played a set that I felt a high-school-music affection for. Lead singer Chris Balzer danced in a way that made his music seem as if it came up from the shoes of his soul. Anyone who hasn’t seen this local Chicago band is missing out; hopefully they’ll be hitting the festival circuit this summer.

Middle band King Sparrow are also Chicago natives and kept the garage rock feel of the evening going with a quality set. The band is composed of three guys who look endlessly approachable. They look like dudes I knew in high school, or maybe my little brother’s friends, who just happen to be on stage right now playing incredibly well coordinated rock music. Enough grit to sound genuine and enough orchestration to be clearly deliberate, King Sparrow mixes a DIY aesthetic with a powerful rock sound to create an authentic sound warm with power cords and distortion. At times, the musicians’ hands strummed and struck so quickly that they merged into a blur of flesh and instrument. King Sparrow seems to have a sizable local fan base, and when they finished their set, the crowd immediately began chanting for “one more song!”

Hurricane Bells took the stage around 11:30 (and on a side note, it’s always nice to see a venue stick to its posted schedule). From the start, these guys were well-coordinated and clearly well-rehearsed. Creator Steve Schiltz performs the guitar, lead vocals, and soul of the band. Schiltz recorded Tonight is the Ghost all on his own, performing and mixing each note on every instrument himself to create a dark, moody-yet-hopeful rock album. For his first tour, however, he elected to bring a band with him, and his unnamed comrades were talented musicians as well. You can’t tell from listening that they are not the original recording band; Hurricane Bells’ live show is a faithful representation of their recorded personality.

If anything, the live set was enhanced incredibly by the addition of a female vocalist whom Schiltz identified as his “kid sister.” She added a lovely layer to tracks like opener “The Winters in New York” and “Darkness Is So Deep”, and totally stole the show on “This Year”. Her raw, ethereal voice floated high over the depths of Schiltz’s darker tones and the acoustic guitar, tugging the music with her into an entirely different sonic landscape. With her addition, the song was elevated from pretty great to totally amazing.

“Tonight I’m Going To Be Like A Shooting Star” floated hauntingly above the audience, culminating in a long, epic guitar solo that burned bright before dissolving into distortion and haze, and then clearing suddenly with only Schlitz’s vocals left to keep us going—powerful stuff. Another showstopper was a cover of The Shirelles’ “Will You Love Me Tomorrow”, in which kid sister joined Schiltz at the microphone for a spine-tingling vocal duet that played in high and lows, giving the song a whole new coat of paint. Save for the iconic lyrics, it was hardly recognizable as a cover; Hurricane Bells so owned the song that it sounded as if Schlitz composed it on his couch.

Hurricane Bells closed out their set with charmer “The Cold Has Killed Us”, the darkly optimistic meditation that contains the album’s titular lyric. Heavy on floaty “oooh”s and maraca beats, the song was epic and lingering in person, much more so than even on the album. Subterranean was hardly at capacity last night, but you couldn’t tell from listening to the applause of the crowd.

Click here to view more of Meghan Brosnan’s work.
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The Strokes, Black Keys, Norah Jones come together for Dylan Fest 2010

Alex Young — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 16:45:51 +0000

So Pavement + Sonic Youth + No Age may have already won the award for best bill of 2010, but the festivities scheduled at New York’s Bowery Ballroom on May 27th will mark the first and probably only performance from what may very well be the year’s most unique and downright fantastic collective.

On that day, the Bowery Ballroom will celebrate Bob Dylan’s 69th birthday by hosting the awesomely titled “Dylan Fest 2010 – a Night To Get Drunk and Celebrate Bob Dylan.” The evening’s scheduled entertainment will be The Cabin Down Below Band, a collective led by New York punk icon Jesse Malin (he owns a bar of the same name) and which has a history of playing all-star events. (See: Petty Fest 2009).

For this particular performance, The Cabin Down Below Band will feature Malin teamed up with the likes of — take a deep breath now! — Fab Moretti and Nikolai Fraiture of The Strokes, Patrick Carney of The Black Keys, Adam Green, Norah Jones, Sean Lennon and Charlotte Kemp Muhl of Ghost of a Saber Toothed Tiger, The Pierces, Binki Shapiro from Little Joy, Nicole Atkins, Tracy Bonham, Antony Ellis of 5 O’Clock Heroes, Sammy James Jr. of the Mooney Suzuki, Josh Lattanzi of The Candles, Jody Porter from Fountains Of Wayne, Tyson Ritter of the All American Rejects, Steve Schiltz of Longwave, Hurricane Bells, and “many many more”! Greatest birthday ever? Duh.

Tickets for the show, which are priced at just $13.00, are available here.

CoS is heading to South by Southwest!

CoS Staff — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 04:00:02 +0000

Well, as you know, via the constant news posts, our Twitter bombardment, and the 6,432 emails sent from the 6,432 bands scheduled to play this week asking to CHECK THEM OUT! — perhaps you haven’t experienced the last part, but trust us, our inbox is suffocating! — this week, the entire music industry will descend on Austin, Texas for the 2010 edition of South by Southwest. Consequence of Sound will be heading down there as well, as Mr. Young, Mr. Roffman, Mr. Coplan, and Mr. Blackard will be playing both journalists and party hosts throughout the week.

On Wednesday, we’ll team up with our internet buddies Elbo.ws and The Music Slut and the awesome Austin promoters Knuckle Rumbler to help kick off South by Southwest with a bang!

What: Body Parts
Where: Peckerhead’s (402 E. 6th St)
When: Wednesday, March 17th, 1 – 8pm CST
Who: Theophilus London, Broken Social Scene’s Jason Collett, The Death Set, Drink Up Buttercup, Acrylics, Gemni Club, Maps & Atlases, The Depreciation Guild, Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt, and Dignan
Extras: Free So-Co + tacos!
How: Free, but please RSVP

We’re particuarly proud of our Thursday event, and for good reason. We teamed up with one of our favorite music festivals, Calgary’s Sled Island Music Festival, and put together a lineup that rivals all. At least, we and some 4,700 others seem to think so.

What: CoS + Sled Island’s 1st Annual SXSW Day Party
Where: Republic Live (301 W. 5th St)
When: Thursday, March 18th, 12 – 7pm CST
Who: Titus Andronicus, Surfer Blood, Rural Alberta Advantage, Of Montreal’s James Husband, Jukebox the Ghost, Garotas Sueces, Brasstronaut, and Royal Bangs + a ???.
How: Free, but please RSVP. Please note that this event will likely be at-capacity, so we suggest you get there early to ensure entry (First come, first serve).

Then, on Friday, we’ll look to cap it all off with a rather intimate event, personally curated by CoS’ Michael Roffman. “Lo-Fi Friday” presented by CoS and the Rock it Out! Blog, features music that lives up to the events name and lots of cool goods. Plus, we’ll have pizza!

What: CoS + Rock It Out! Blog present: 1st Annual “Lo-Fi Friday”
Where: Republic Live (301 W. 5th St)
When: Friday, March 19th, 12 – 7pm CST
Who: The Protomen, Sweet Apple, Hurricane Bells, Light Pollution, Surf City, Look Mexico, You Say Party! We Say Die!, The Happy Hollows, Male Bonding, and Chaperone
Extras: Blu Energy Drink + 8-bit gaming station + Pizza!
How: Free, but please RSVP.

We hope you can join us! Also, be sure to follow CoS on Twitter for all the latest SXSW updates as well as opportunities to score guest list access to all three of these events.

We should also note that because of our travels, regular programming on the actual website will be limited this week. Please check back next week for a complete recap of both our travels and any news we might have missed. In the meantime, whether you’ll be joining us in Austin or sitting at home in envy, please enjoy your week!

Update: CoS + Rock It Out! Blog’s “Lo-Fi Friday” SXSW Day Party

Michael Roffman — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:25:46 +0000

We’re about a week away from SXSW and we couldn’t be more stressed excited. Nothing screams “spectacular” than sunshine, free drinks, a plethora of indie-rock, and thousands of drunk hipsters and PR reps. With that in mind, we also think “spectacular” pretty much sums up our exciting three-day party extravaganza. While the fun starts Wednesday and peaks on Thursday, it all comes to one pretty laid back conclusion come Friday. And since we’re all going to be exhausted by then, a break sounds both a.) inviting and b.) much needed.

That’s why Consequence of Sound + Rock It Out! Blog put together the “Lo-Fi Friday” lineup! But since its announcement two weeks ago, we’ve beefed it up some. Don’t get us wrong… we want to relax and just enjoy our time, but we also want to go out with a bang. So, in addition to a line up you won’t get anywhere else — The Protomen, You Say Party! We Say Die!, Sweet Apple, Hurricane Bells, The Happy Hollows, Surf City, Look Mexico, Male Bonding, Light Pollution, and Chaperone — we’ve added some party favors.

For one, Blu Energy Drink has been gracious enough to supply the event with cases of liquid adrenaline, which should make survival all the more realistic! And for those who arrive early enough, you’ll be able to share a few slices of pizza with the CoS crew while we watch a raucous performance by Chaperone and Sweet Apple. Throughout the day, we’ll also have a full service bar and a vintage 8-bit gaming station, provided by the wonderful folks at Game Over Videogames. C’mon, who doesn’t want to escape the hard hitting sun and play some Mega Man while refueling and listening to hard-hitting, lo-fi, alt rock?

If you look closely at the lineup, you’ll notice a change, too. We’re now at a 10 band bill, as we’ve added Chicago’s hot up and coming act, Light Pollution! You might not have heard of them yet, but you will over the next few months, especially when their debut surfaces in June via Carpark Records. They not only have an extraordinary and hip sound, but promise to be a spectacle on-stage, too.

Last, but most important of all, the venue is now at Republic Live. This does wonders for us, considering it’s a larger venue and also in a greater location — it’s across the street from Antone’s! We anticipate lots of day traffic and we’re hoping you’re a part of it!

So, if you can pry yourself away from the 129,323,299 other parties and events going down, come give us a holler and see what will undoubtedly be the most unique lineup of the day. Just keep in mind, you haven’t seen anything ’til you’ve seen The Protomen.

Anyhow, here are the details, including the official schedule and RSVP info.

Official Schedule:

12:00: Chaperone
12:30: Sweet Apple
01:00: Male Bonding
01:45: The Happy Hollows
02:30: You Say Party! We Say Die!
03:20: Look Mexico
04:05: Surf City
04:50: Light Pollution
05:35: Hurricane Bells
06:20: The Protomen

RSVP:

Let us know you’re coming and RSVP here (via Facebook).

About the Bands:

The Protomen: An event not to be missed, The Protomen are less a band and more an engaging rock opera. As they insist, “They are messengers, riding atop an Iron Stallion on their way to deliver the most vicious rock ‘n’ roll fable that the world has even known.” Quite the statement, right? Their message has caught on, however. After last year’s electrifying performances at both Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival and New York’s CMJ, where they supported their latest effort Act II: The Father of Death, the Nashville natives plan to take on 2010 with a vengeance. Not only will they be appearing at SXSW, but The Protomen will support their own tour that will take them to the better parts of the midwest. Do not miss what Wired Magazine calls, “unequivocally unique” and “positively inspired.”

You Say Party! We Say Die!: British Columbia has a lot of things going for it these days: The Olympics, actress Cobie Smulder, and of course, indie sensation You Say Party! We Say Die! (aka YSP!WSD!). Having reinvented themselves with their spirited style of New-Wave, and a new depth of material, the band returned recently with their much-anticipated third release, XXXX, which Pitchfork Media calls, “unexpectedly tender.” With sounds that trace back to 80′s favorites The Psychedelic Furs, The Go Gos, and ‘Til Tuesday, YSP!WSD! are an easy favorite on the dance floor, and this year they’ll be putting Americans back there as they tour the States for the first time in several years.

Sweet Apple: Side projects are one thing, but when a band forms out of love, you just gotta respect that. Sweet Apple is the new unit comprised of J. Mascis (of Dinosaur Jr.), Tim Parnin and John Petkovic (both of Cobra Verde), and Dave Sweetapple (of Witch). This is not a supergroup, however, nor is it a little side project. It’s a labor of love that worked together as a close pocket of friends, all to create something emotionally-charged and downright honest. The result is their forthcoming debut, Love & Desperation, and while it’s not out ’til April 20th, the band plans to make one hell of a breakthrough at SXSW, which includes a performance at Waterloo Records on March 19th.

“Do You Remember”

Hurricane Bells: After touring the better part of last year around Longwave’s fourth effort, Secrets Are Sinister, Steve Schiltz set up shop to create a new project with little else than his MacBook and an Mbox. He wrote, played, recorded, and mixed every note himself, arranging what would become Tonight Is The Ghost, the debut album of his now new act, Hurricane Bells. It’s taken off tremendously. While a soundtrack inclusion (“Monsters”) to last year’s Twilight: New Moon soundtrack didn’t hurt, the band’s been stirring up a storm for itself, finishing up a tour in India and returning for a spring run of dates, where they’ll be supporting Blue October on a nation-wide tour.

The Happy Hollows: Los Angeles has a good reason to smile lately. In the past, they’ve delivered us some hip-as-hell rock ‘n’ roll (The Doors, Guns N’ Roses), and now they bring us The Happy Hollows. If the band’s current single “High Wire” sounds familiar, there’s a good reason. It’s the ultimately catchy song from the latest Samsung Mobile commercials. The best part? There’s more! The group’s debut, last year’s Spells, gushes of 14 flavorful indie-rock tunes that demand to be heard again and again. It only gets better live, too! That’s why we can’t argue with The Huffington Post, who calls The Happy Hollows, “A Band You’ve Got to See.”

Look Mexico: It’s been a strange and interesting journey for Tallahassee-turned-Austin’s own Look Mexico. After signing with Lujo Records, the band collected a small, but dedicated fan base across the nation that turned them from your favorite local band from another town to your favorite local band in your country. The band’s seen its share of line up changes, but that’s hardly hurt their music. From their debut, This Is Animal Music, to their critically acclaimed EP, Gasp Asp, the band’s swatted away enough drama that would sink the average mainstream act, and their music excels from this. New sounds and new faces make up a brilliant new unit that should make new label Suburban Home very, very proud. And with a highly anticipated sophomore follow up on the way, April’s To Bed To Battle, a recommendation from Alternative Press, and a second appearance at the Harvest of Hope Festival, it’s safe to say these Florida-turned-Texas folk have little to worry.

Surf City: New Zealand’s made some fine exports in the past few years. While we won’t throw any Tolkien references around, we are apt to say it’s a pretty magical place. Surf City is just one great example of its majestic powers. Birthed from a deep influence of The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Beach Boys, and The Zombies, this quartet is exactly what happens when distortion takes a vacation. It’s fast, it’s catchy, and it’s highly addictive. Their EP “broke waves” back in ’08 — Pitchfork Media found it “absolutely charming” — and since then they’ve been hitting the live scene hard, including a tight run through last year’s CMJ. They’re primed to continue this success down in Austin.

Male Bonding: It’s a pretty good day when Sub-Pop calls to pick you up. How do you think Male Bonding felt? The UK trio signed to the legendary Seattle label last year and since then they’ve been turning heads left and right. They’ve taken a traditional garage rock sound and just splintered it into several directions. Everything from grunge to surf-pop riddle their songs, and what’s more, they’re sloppy in all the right ways. It’s lo-fi at its finest and it should come as no surprise that the band’s been opening for the likes of Vivian Girls, Japandroids, Abe Vigoda, and The Soft Pack. Delectable? You’ll be asking for seconds before their set’s even finished.

“Pumpkin”

Light Pollution: While attending Northern Illinois University, Jim Cicero and drummer Matt Evertt shut themselves off from society in a rickety old warehouse. It was there that they tinkered around with enough reverb and distortion to create the hypnotic, psychedelic trance that is now Light Pollution. Since then, the band has expanded into a quartet, adding Nick Sherman and Jed Robertson, and although they’ve only hit the Chicago circuit, they’ve wretched enough eyes to land a label (Carpark Records) and great attention from The Windish Agency. Their first full length, Apparitions, is due out June 15th, and those lucky enough to be in Austin during SXSW would be wise to check out what will inevitably become the next indie sensation.

“Good Feelings”

Chaperone: After disbanding Chicago garage-blues fiesta Blueblood, Thomas Des Enfants swept up the ashes and carved something anew. Tighter, friendlier, and more intimate, Chaperone introduces new faces and an assured sound that draws influences from several eras, though you’re likely to recall The Avett Brothers. Sing-along harmonies and bucket-toting percussion do-see-do over finger licking bass lines that result in irresistable folk-rock. It’s caught on, too. Their unique songs and impassioned live act have generated a growing buzz in the Midwest with each performance, and while Chaperone spent much of 2009 recording, writing, and fine-tuning their set, 2010 will see the release of their EP and the road ahead.

“Witches & Sailors”

About the Venue:

Republic Live is located in Austin, TX at 301 W 5th St. (5th & Lavaca St.). It’s less than a ten minute walk from the Austin Convention Center.

About The Presenters:

Consequence of Sound is a global music publication averaging 50,000 daily page impressions. Now in its third year, CoS sports over 50 contributors, recognition from countless premiere media outlets, and a readership that proves to be one of the most active and dedicated in all of the online music blogosphere. The SXSW day party will also coincide with the launch of a brand new, professionally designed CoS website.

Rock It Out! Blog is a fresh face in the online music community, delivering rock music news from the fan’s perspective. Site owner Sami Jarroush (of Fuse TV fame) has hosted several rock shows on television and radio and with Rock It Out! Blog he brings his talents into the dawning age of video blogging. In its short existence, however, the site has already become a new internet sensation, landing interviews with highly respected talent and partnering up with several online publications. Rock It Out! Blog‘s co-sponsorship with Consequence of Sound marks the first live event for the site and kicks off an exciting year full of things to come.

Game Over Videogames is Austin’s go-to spot for everything vintage video gaming. This store’s aim is to bring classic video games back into the city, and give gamers a top quality, one stop shop for classic video games, systems, accessories, plus the coolest collectibles, t-shirts, etc and more. Game Over Videogames is a true example of how an independent video game store can compete and win against enormous competition and huge obstacles in today’s fragile business climate. The franchise will be heavily involved throughout SXSW, with several in-store promotions and events, including a performance by Descendants of Erdrick on Thursday, March 18th.

The Nerdy Show is a weekly podcast dedicated to nerd culture, nerd news, and nerd music. It’s a celebration of the multifaceted d20 that is the modern nerd presented in a weekly melding of talk radio and music. From comics and video games to science and technology — if it’s geeky they’ve got it covered!

Blu Energy Drink is the best and only choice in energy drinks today, namely because that’s what they set out to do. They strive for quality and with its variety of flavors, they set the bar high for anyone looking to keep the world awake.

CoS + Rock It Out Blog! reveal 2010 SXSW day party lineup!

Michael Roffman — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 20:00:19 +0000

Update: Venue change! The party will now be located at Republic Live — details below, including updated poster!

We’re pretty jazzed about SXSW — as if you couldn’t tell — and this year we’re really making the best of it. Since we’re not throwing our own showcase, we decided to “go all out” and take advantage of every day we’re down in Austin, TX. As promised last week, we have three events planned, and while you’re all well aware of Thursday’s festivities, we thought we’d splurge about our “relaxing” Friday plans.

Teaming up with the ever popular Rock It Out! Blog, we’re proud to present the line up for our first annual joint day party, which all goes down Friday, March 19th at Republic Live. This year’s festivities will feature a lineup made of some of the hottest up-and-coming outfits in music, including — second drum roll, please — The Protomen, You Say Party! We Say Die!, Sweet Apple, Hurricane Bells, The Happy Hollows, Look Mexico, Surf City, Male Bonding, Light Pollution, and Chaperone!

And as usual, the entire event will be free!

That said, the capacity for the event will be limited to 500 or so lucky individuals, so it’s probably a good idea to get there early in order to guarantee admission for this very, very intimate affair. Doors will open at 12pm and the party will run until roughly 5:30pm.

If that weren’t enough, the event will also be sponsored by The Nerdy Show and Game Over Videogames, who will be handing out exclusive coupons and setting up a vintage gaming station, where attendees can play classic 8-bit NES games — especially each Mega Man installment, in keeping with The Protomen theme.

Additional details, including set times, accommodations (Liquor! Red Bull! Waffles!), will be announced in the weeks ahead. We may also provide a few opportunities to get on the guest list. So, stay tuned!

Scroll down for band bios and venue information! How sweet of us, huh?

About the Bands:

“Do You Remember”

“Pumpkin”

“Hand Crushes the Wheel”

Chaperone: After disbanding Chicago garage-blues fiesta Blueblood, Thomas Des Enfants swept up the ashes and carved something anew. Tighter, friendlier, and more intimate, Chaperone introduces new faces and an assured sound that draws influences from several eras, though you’re likely to recall The Avett Brothers. Sing-along harmonies and bucket-toting percussion do-see-do over finger licking bass lines that result in irresistable folk-rock. It’s caught on, too. Their unique songs and impassioned live act have generated a growing buzz in the Midwest with each performance, and while Chaperone spent much of 2009 recording, writing, and fine-tuning their set, 2010 will see the release of their EP and the road ahead.

“Witches & Sailors”

About the Venue:

Republic Live is located in Austin, TX at 301 W 5th St. (5th & Lavaca St.). It’s less than a ten minute walk from the Austin Convention Center.

About The Presenters:

On Second Listen: Hurricane Bells- Tonight Is The Ghost

Megan Ritt — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 21:30:54 +0000

If the Killers and Devendra Banhart had a baby, and then that baby wrote skillful acoustic pop music, the result might sound something like Hurricane Bells. The project of Steve Schiltz (singer and guitarist for New York band Longwave), Hurricane Bells’ first album is titled Tonight is the Ghost, and one gets the feeling that the writer felt the ghosts of long nights past about him as he composed. In keeping with the creepy theme, Schiltz’s project has gained attention after a b-side entitled “Monsters” was selected for the soundtrack of the second installment in the Twilight series, New Moon. But this album is more about haunting than it is biting; it’s an amalgam of quiet and loud, fast and slow, melancholy and cautious optimism.

According to Hurricane Bells’ Web site, Schiltz “wrote, played, recorded, and mixed every note himself,” and his attention to detail shows in the careful play of rhythm with lyric, guitar mixing with drums, voice over backing. Many of the tracks feature some complex, multi-level sound layering. On “Darkness Is So Deep”, for example, dark lyrics (“the darkness is so deep/ you gotta find your own way out”) mix with a quicker tempo and more upbeat backing to create an interesting mixture of ups and down.

Another strong track is “This Year”, which reminds me very deeply of the Killers having a quiet moment. The track starts with Schiltz’s voice nearly bare, rising gently over a little guitar. As with other tracks, additional backing instruments file in one at a time, sneaking in to fill out the sound bit by bit. Around two minutes in, when the sound opens up fully, the resemblance to Hot Fuss is eerie. And yet Hurricane Bells make a case by being a bit more thoughtful and steady-handed than the Killers. His music builds gradually and almost seems to evolve as you listen. Schiltz is heavy on the acoustic guitar and the high-pitched backing chorus (trust me, it works), lending a thoughtful, summery air to his music.

Schiltz can also play slower songs with some success. “Tonight I’m Going To Be Like A Shooting Star” is quiet, thoughtful, and meandering in a pleasant way that brings to mind some of Banhart’s more contemplative work. “The Winters in New York” is another slower song, somewhat dominated by backing drums and thus sonically a bit forgettable. This is unfortunate, because, upon closer listen, the lyrics are darkly poetic, with Schiltz imagining escaping New York’s icy winters for a new start in the West. I wish this song had touched me more, but the sound melts into the background too easily. It’s as though the wintry songs freeze up his music’s charm, somehow. Similarly, “The Cold Has Killed Us” (seems parts of this album were composed in February) sticks to the sounds around it and doesn’t make a strong impression.

Warmer and more notable tracks include “This Is A Test”, a more upbeat song with a bigger pop influence. It still manages to maintain an airy vibe, though; Schiltz sounds as though he’d be more at home playing a smallish crowd in a dark room, whiskey in hand, than he would be on TRL. Later track “Crocodile” is a shaker, a guitar-heavy instrumental with a solitary whistler in the background, which quickly gives way to the delightfully twangy “Freezing Rain”. The vocals on that track are particularly reminiscent of Hot Fuss, with a thoughtfully modern emotion behind them. And yet, the mixing makes the whole thing sound fresh and special.

Closer “Tenterhooks” opens with a charming background of night noises, laid over with a striking solo guitar rhythm that gradually blossoms into the larger melody of the song. It’s a meditative instrumental piece that evolves into a small, lovely soundscape before evaporating into the quiet again, and is, without a question, my favorite piece on the album.

Schiltz is a thoughtful, compelling songwriter who seems to have a lot on his mind. He’s working with sounds like those we’ve heard before, but putting them in new orders and pretty patterns that strike the ear as new and yet familiar, refreshing but still comfortable. This is an album that yearns for a summer night, with all the windows open to the breeze and a cool tumbler of liquor in hand. If you (like me) are toughing out a cold Midwestern winter right now, at least you can throw this baby on the speakers and pretend.

New Moon soundtrack announced! And it’s ridiculous!

Alex Young — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 17:47:13 +0000

Ladies and gentlemen, the day of all days is upon us! The tracklisting for the New Moon soundtrack is here!

And as expected, it’s indie-iculous. In addition to the previously reported participation of Radiohead’s Thom Yorke, Death Cab for Cutie, Bon Iver, and Grizzly Bear, the soundtrack will include contributions from Lykke Li, The Killers, Editors, Muse, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Ok Go, and Sea Wolf. Oh yeah, and Bon Iver’s song will be in the form of a duet with St. Vincent.

Yeah, holy shit.

New Moon, the soundtrack, will hits stores beginning October 20th (pre-orders now on going). New Moon, the movie, will hit screens one month later on November 20th.

New Moon Tracklist:
01. Death Cab for Cutie – Meet Me on the Equinox
02. Band of Skulls – Friends
03. Thom Yorke – Hearing Damage
04. Lykke Li – Possibility
05. The Killers – A White Demon Love Song
06. Anya Marina – Satellite Heart
07. Muse – I Belong to You (New Moon)
08. Bon Iver & St. Vincent – Roslyn
09. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – Done All Wrong
10. Hurricane Bells – Monsters
11. Sea Wolf – The Violet Hour
12. Ok Go – Shooting the Moon
13. Grizzly Bear – Slow Life
14. Editors – No Sound But the Wind
15. Alexandre Desplat – New Moon (The Meadow)